Game apparatus



(No Model.) 2 sheets-Sheet 1,

G. SCHNMDER. GAMB APPARATUS.

No. 467,676. Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

11% nih. TN mi.. I'jugj il. my submit Hilti: [PT mh I I l lili. Wil mk illl nu In Hlh ATTORNEY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. SCHNEIDER.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 467,676. Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

EN 0H @W @f/ vArran/wn.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL SCHNEIDER, OF BROOKLYN, NEI/V YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,676, dated January 26, 1892.

i Application filed April 23, 1891. Serial No 390,107. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CARL SCHNEIDER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gaming Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved game apparatus, which is amusing and of a simple construction; and it consists of a game apparatus having a spiral downwardly-extending channel, which is entirely or partly filled with balls, the balls being released from the channel one after the other by means of a lever mechanism that is operated by a coin dropped into the apparatus. The balls released from the channel run upon a platform provided with several numbered holes and finally fall through one or the other of the said holes a greater or less distance from the lower end of the spiral channel, according to the impetus imparted to the saine.

1n lthe accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of my improved game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line :1c zr,-

and Fig. 3, a horizontal section on line y y,

Fig. l; and Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional detail views on an enlarged scale. 4

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A in the drawings is a hollow standard or case of wood or met-al, from the top of which a downwardly-extending tube B, open at its lower end and preferably of an oval crosssection, is suspended. To the outside of the tube B a spiral channel b is attached, the lower end of which terminates in a dischargetube b. To the inside of the tube B a coinchute C is attached, into which a coin or any coin-shaped device may be dropped through the downwardly-bent duct c, that leads from the outside of the case A through the tube B into the chute C, as shown in Fig. 2. A bracket D is fastened to the inside of the standard or case A, to which the lever E is mounted by the shaft e. The lever extends from the bracket D to the lower opening of the coin-chute C, which `is closed by the disk e', attached to the free end of the lever.

The discharge-tube b of the spiral channel fastened to the stop-pin f, which extends downward and is engaged by a forked catcherarm G, attached to the shaft e of the lever E.

The standard A is placed upon a somewhat inclined base or platform H, provided with a 'series of numbered openings h and upright pins h', as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. If desired, the said openings may be closed by springactuated lever-plates attached to the under side of the base. The base H rests on a dishing receptacle I to receive the balls dropped through the numbered openings and conduct them through the center hole t' into a drawer J below the receptacle I. The hopper K, inside of the standard or case A, serves to receive the coins dropped into the chute C and conduct the same through the opening K into the money-till L below the base H.

All the parts of the apparatus may be made of Wood or sheet metal, and the base H may lbe covered with a glass frame M, as shown in Fig. 2, if desired.

Before the game is played the spiral channel must be filled to a certain extent with marble or glass balls through the opening a in the top of the case A and leading to the upper end of the channel. The balls are prevented from falling through the dischargeopening h of the channel by the stop-pin f abutting against the lowermost ball, as shown in Fig. 4.

The apparatus operates and the game is played in the following manner: One of the players drops a coin or a coin-shaped chip into the slot of the duct c. The coin or chip falls down into the chute C and upon the disk e of the lever E, which is forced down by the weight of the coin. At the same time the forked catcher-arm on the shaft of the lever takes the cross-piece f of the pin fand moves the same somewhat forward, thereby withdrawing the stop-pin f from the lowermost ball, which `drops through the discharge-tube h and rolls through the opening a2, Fig. 2, upon the base or platform H. As by the weight of the coin or chip the lever is moved downward on its fulcrum the coin will consequently IOO drop into the hopper K. As soon as the lever is released from the coin or chip it is raised into its former position by means of a spiral spring e2, wound around the shaft e and fastened to the same and to the bracket, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the lower opening of the coin-chute is closed again. Vhen the lever has assumed its normal position, the crosspiece f is released from the forked ends of the catcher-arm G and the stop-pin f automatically pressed back into the discharge-tube by means of a spring f2, attached to the upper end of the cross-piece f .and to the -outside of the discharge-tube, as shown iu Figs. 1 and 1i, which spring causes the cross-piece and the stop-pin to move back as soon as the cross-piece is released from the forked catcherarm G, so that the stop-pin abnts against the next following ball in the-spiral channel and prevents they same from dropping into the discharge-tube. The released ball drops upon the pins a, which serve to give the. balls different directions, and rolls through the opening a2 upon the platform II, and after striking several upright pins 7i. finally drops into one ofthe openings h. According to the weight of the ball and the impetus it has obtained, it will roll into an opening a greater or less distance from the standard. When the second player drops a coin or chip into the slot of the duct. c, the apparatus will operate. in the same manner. The numbers of the openings into which the balls drop are noted and y-tially as set forth.

the winner being the person whose ball has dropped into the opening either with the highest or lowest number, as maybe agreed upon.

The openings hin the base II may be partly surrounded by railings'h2 to prevent the balls from rolling over the openings. collected in the drawer J and the coins or chips in the money-till L.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a game apparatus, the combination of a coin-chute with aspring-actuated lever closing the lower opening of the chute when in normal position and having on its shaft a forked catcher-arm, and a stop-pin'having aV spring-actuated cross-piece which is operated simultaneously7 with the' catcher-arm of the said lever, substantially as set forth. I

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of a hollow standard or case with a tube suspended from the top of the case, a spiral channel for storing balls attached around the outside of the tube, and an inclined base4 bearing the oase upon which the ballsV roll when they are released from the channel, substan- Signed at New York, N. Y., this 21st day of March, 1891.

. CARL SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

CHARLES KURTZ, THos. CONRAD.

The balls are 

